The Punjab government yesterday said action will be taken against those involved in stone-pelting and damaging state property outside the Lahore office of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) at the time of Maryam Nawaz’s appearance in a land purchase case.
Punjab Minister for Law, Raja Basharat, said PML-N has repeated its “history of attacking the Supreme Court”, adding that constitutional institutions and law enforcement agencies are not safe from the PML-N’s “hooligans”.
Maryam Nawaz was summoned in an individual capacity, but she organised a rally here, Basharat said.
“The government took all measures to establish its writ and action will be taken against all those who gathered there illegally and those who pelted stones at police officers stationed there,” he said.
Basharat said stones were brought under the security protocol of Maryam. After reaching the area, they were distributed among workers and thrown at NAB and police.
“Maryam claims she was summoned to cause her harm. She was called to answer for the crimes she has committed,” the minister said.
Some people have been arrested, while others are being identified through CCTV footage. “Cases will be registered against PML-N workers who injured police officers and caused damage to government property.”
“This is not a claim anymore. Everything was visible on the media. The government will take its case forward on the footage provided by media,” he said.
Action will be taken against all those arrested and others involved, as it is the responsibility of the government to do so. “All of this was done on the behest of Maryam,” he added.
Punjab Minister for Information Fayyaz ul Hassan Chohan said that for the first time in 20 years since the establishment of NAB, the windows of the anti-graft watchdog’s building have been broken and that Maryam has carried forward her family’s traditions of “launching attacks” against law enforcement agencies.
The minister claimed Maryam’s move was the outcome of the internal politics of her party. “Neither will I play, nor will I let anyone play, this is what Maryam had in mind when she came to appear before NAB,” he said.
The minister claimed that this act was a “suicide attack” on Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz’s politics, and she has “ended the politics of PML-N”.
Chohan claimed that nearly Rs1mn was distributed among people at Jati Umra.
“Every worker who pelted stones was awarded Rs25,000, those who threw stones at Maraym’s car were given Rs100,000 in advance,” he said, adding that all of this was done on Pervez Rashid’s advice.
“It took them eight days to come up with this plan as very few of their workers were ready to partake in the rally today,” he said.
Policemen detain supporters of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after a clash during the court hearing of Maryam Nawaz in Lahore yesterday.
